James Brown

James Brown (3 May 1933-25 December 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader who was nicknamed "the Godfather of Soul" for profoundly influencing music across his 50-year career. Brown was a notable Republican Party supporter, saying that he considered Senator Strom Thurmond to be a "grandfather" to him.

Biography
James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina on 3 May 1933, and he began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He joined the R&B group, "The Gospel Starlighters", and he first came to national attention in the late 1950s as the lead singer of "The Famous Flames". Brown became known as a tireless live performer, and his success peaked in the 1960s with singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", and he also made funk music during the early 1970s such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". Brown recorded 16 R&B number-one singles, and he was the most sampled artist of all time.

Brown was also involved with politics, supporting the Republican Party alongside his friend Ray Charles. He initially supported the Democratic Party, supporting Hubert Humphrey during the 1968 presidential election, but he later became a personal friend of Richard Nixon. In 1972, he endorsed Nixon for re-election, leading to backlash among fellow African-Americans who bought his records. Brown also said that Senator Strom Thurmond, renowned for his former racism, was like a "grandfather" to him for telling other Americans "it goes this way". Brown died in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 at the age of 73.